Anger Words: Rankle

ran⋅kle

–verb (used without object)
1. (of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.
–verb (used with object)
2. to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in: His colleague's harsh criticism rankled him for days.

Rankle comes to us through a long and twisted path. Our story begins in the Latin, with the word "dracō," meaning "serpent," from which our English word "dragon" descends.

The diminutive form is "dracunculus," meaning little serpent. Closely related to this is the Old French "draoncle," meaning "a festering sore." The verb draoncler, "to fester," was then formed in Old French, with an alternate form of the word, "rancler." Middle English borrowed "rancle" and "ranclen," as noun and verb, respectively.

Again, the history of a word teaches us a great deal. The word "rankle," with its sense of irritation, resentment, or bitterness reminds us of the venom in anger. "Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other guy to die." (Malachy McCourt). Holding on to our right to be angry, our right to resent others, is just like holding onto a venomous viper, which keeps on biting us, leaving putrefying sores in our psyche.

An old trick from 12-step programs is to pray for those whom you resent. Pray for them to have the good things and blessings that you desire. If you don't believe in prayer, thinking of them and wishing for them to experience good things that they will enjoy may work the same way.

Using the ABCD anger log process is a way of determining how you are judging the object of your resentment and to begin to consciously reshape your thought process.

anger words, rankle, anger, anger management